Connected: Book 1 Connected Series

by Kat Stiles

  “What about the rest of the trail?”

  “What trail?”

  I laughed. “Come on.”

  It wasn’t long before we arrived at our destination. The end of the path was also richly scenic, with a creek nearby and a clearing in front. He walked me down towards the water, to a spot where the grass was softer, shaded by a single huge oak.

  “This place is remarkable.”

  We both settled down in the spot, folding our arms behind our heads. For a while, we did nothing more than lay and cloud-gaze.

  I stood and walked closer to the creek. With my eyes closed, I listened to the calming sound of water flowing. And then Tommy’s arms wrapped around my waist, hugging me from behind.

  “I love it,” I said.

  “Thought you would,” he said into my hair. He adjusted it off to the other side, exposing my right shoulder entirely. The heat of his breath on my skin made me shudder. He traced his hand down my neck to my shoulder, where it settled comfortably, his fingers encompassing my skin. He squeezed lightly and pressed his lips to the bend of my neck. The warmth, the pressure of the kiss created a sensation so amazing that my breathing became erratic. The heat turned up inside, and my heart began to pound.

  “Need to calm you down,” he whispered, but of course the heat of his breath only caused me to shudder again.

  “You always have this effect on me,” I said, but truthfully it had never been so intense. My body was too excited. I couldn’t control it.

  “Have you ever tried healing on yourself, to relax?”

  “Once.”

  “Did it work?” he asked, so close to my ear, my body convulsed.

  “Yes,” I breathed. I wanted to kiss him, but I couldn’t move. My heart raced uncontrollably, and the heat was already so overpowering, I didn’t know what would happen.

  He slid his arms over mine, moving downward until he was able to intertwine his fingers through mine. He guided my right hand to a spot on my upper stomach, directly below my rib cage, and whispered something into my ear. So entranced, I was only vaguely aware actual words came out of his mouth. He then guided my left hand over my heart, and I was embarrassed he could feel how hard it pounded.

  “Breathe, Em.”

  The heat activated, relaxing my whole body in a matter of minutes.

  “That’s better.” He squeezed me gently.

  I smiled, feeling a calm similar to the sensation I experienced when Judy treated me, but more complete. I’d never felt so right, so comfortable with myself. In that moment, I simply fit, like pieces of a puzzle that had finally come together.

  I turned around to face him. He wore a look as peaceful as I felt, and a warm grin appeared on his lips, right before I began to slowly kiss him. All the energy within me flowed in a perfect rhythm. In a rush, it exited me. He let out a soft moan, right at the moment the heat left my body.

  We settled back down on the warm ground. The sunset was breathtaking: lovely shades of pink and orange illuminated the sky, providing the ideal visual accompaniment to the sounds of the natural creek.

  “I think I’ve figured it out,” he said.

  “Figured out what?”

  “How you’re different. You look at me, and you see the real me. Not what everyone else sees. Just me.” He rubbed my back and planted a simple kiss on my head.

  As I lay there in his arms, I felt his emotions—a perfect feeling of adoration, affection. Love. And my feelings for him suddenly became clear. Without a doubt, I knew I had fallen completely in love with him.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Monday morning I woke earlier to have more time to get ready. While the results weren’t quite like Sunday, I still managed to look better than usual. And I was starting to get used to wearing shirts that actually fit me.

  Feeling pretty confident, I entered the school without the customary dread normally present. I even managed to avoid Angel at my locker. On my way to class, the warning bell rang. The hallway was in the process of clearing out, so I didn’t notice anything at first. It took a second before I saw Scott, with all the people moving around.

  From down the hall, he grinned, the kind of creepy Clockwork Orange grin that is beyond terrifying. He strode towards me, moving fast.

  I ducked into the girl’s bathroom. Somehow I thought it was safe, as if the rule that boys weren’t allowed in there would be an invisible barrier to stop him. I canvassed the white tile that encompassed both the floor and walls. All of the stalls were open and empty. No one at the sinks. I was alone.

  You’d think with my horror movie training I would have a plan, some kind of survival strategy. Nope. I guess I still hoped he didn’t see me enter. The door opened so slowly it creaked. Scott peered in, and I nearly fainted.

  I bit my lip, determined not to be one of those swooning girls that just collapse into the villain’s arms. Still, I knew I needed help. “Tom—”

  Scott rushed in, his hand clasping over my mouth before I could finish calling Tommy’s name.

  “Shut up.” His brow furrowed. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “Then let me go,” I mumbled through his fingers. I tried to pry his hand loose, but my hands heated up instantly. The sweat made it impossible to get any traction whatsoever.

  Scott tilted his head. “Your hands… There’s something different about you…”

  Since I couldn’t loosen his grip with my hand, I bit down hard on one of his fingers.

  “Shit!” Scott’s eyes grew big as he withdrew his hand. Drops of blood fell to the floor. “How did you…”

  I took the opportunity to make a run for it, but Scott didn’t move. He kept staring at his hand.

  “Wait,” he said when I swung open the door, but I didn’t stop. I bolted around the corner, running as fast as I could.

  “Em, are you all right?” Tommy’s voice called from behind me.

  I breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes. Uh, yes, I’m fine.”

  “What happened? I thought I heard you call me…”

  The last thing I wanted was for Tommy to get into another fight with Scott. “Nothing, I…” I pressed my lips together, wondering what to say. “I-I wanted to see you before class.”

  It was technically true, so I thought I might have a chance at pulling it off.

  He cocked an eyebrow at me. Damn. I knew he wouldn’t buy it. Think, Em, how have you caught his attention in the past? I looked down, trying to come up with something, when I realized the answer was right there in front of me.

  “Em, you don’t really think…”

  I dropped my books, and the papers tucked inside my math book went everywhere. Tommy kneeled down to assist, and I yanked down on my shirt to reveal a healthy amount of cleavage.

  “Oops.” I crouched to join him.

  Tommy had retrieved most of it when he looked up. His expression was that of a boy staring into the window of a candy shop for the first time. “Whoa.”

  I gathered the rest of my books and took the pages from him, but he continued to gape. “Thank you.”

  We both stood, and I noticed his cheeks were flushed. “You look…um, well, uh…” he began.

  “We need to leave or we’re going to be late for class.” I kissed him on the cheek.

  “Yeah, class.” He scratched his head. “Weren’t we…”

  I hugged him. “Thanks again for your help. I’ll see you at lunch.”

  I left him in that confused state, grateful to have distracted him from the truth.

  Seems these things are good for something after all.

  * * * *

  “Nice to have you back,” Roz said to Tommy at lunch.

  “It’s good to be back. The charades got old fast,” he said.

  Roz opened her lunch sack and unwrapped her sandwich. “Adam didn’t do much this weekend. Pretty boring dude. Oh, but my vision did come in clearer last night.”

  “What did you see?” I asked.

  “The woman, I saw her features,” Roz said, and the
n took a bite from her sandwich. She washed it down with juice. “I know I can identify her now.”

  “And the killer?” Tommy said.

  “Couldn’t see him. Probably Adam, though,” she said.

  “We should watch him again tonight, see if he does anything suspicious,” Tommy suggested. He looked sideways at his sandwich, sniffed it, and then shrugged, taking a bite. “

  “I’m tired of Adam watching,” Roz said. “Knock yourselves out.”

  I was about to start eating when I stopped, experiencing the uncomfortable sensation of someone staring at me. I was afraid to look.

  Scott.

  He sat at an empty table across the room, the fingertips from each hand pressed together in front of his mouth. I couldn’t see his expression, but I felt a sort of curious feeling from him.

  “What is his problem?” Tommy said.

  Scott immediately turned away, fiddling with his books or something. I thought Tommy had scared him, but then when Tommy went back to his lunch, Scott focused on our table. The expression he had worn earlier that day was gone, replaced with something sadder, desperate even. And the look was directed entirely at me.

  * * * *

  After school, I had barely made it through the door before my mother accosted me.

  “You have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow,” she said.

  Hello would’ve been nice. “Great,” I muttered.

  “Is there a problem?”

  “He’s creepy. I don’t like him.”

  “Creepy?” She looked at me as if I were a small child with an imagination left unchecked.

  “The questions he asked… I don’t feel comfortable around him.”

  “What did he ask that made you feel uncomfortable?”

  “He kept asking about him,” I said. “About what happened.”

  Her face softened. “Honey, you have to talk about your father if you want to get past it. Stop the nightmares.”

  “The doctor’s the reason I started having them again.”

  She seemed genuinely concerned, but it was only in her expression—I couldn’t feel anything from her.

  “I don’t want to go back to him,” I said. “Can’t I go to a different doctor?”

  “You’ve made more progress with him than with anyone else. You’ve got a real chance to get better now.”

  I didn’t respond. Nothing I could say would make a bit of difference. She wouldn’t hear me.

  “No,” she declared, her eyes cold and steady. “You will continue to see him.”

  “Did he call you or something?” I said. “Did he talk to you about the last session?”

  “As a matter of fact, he did. He said you might carry on like this.”

  I glared at her. “I can’t believe you won’t listen to me.”

  “I am listening. But I know you, Emily. And I won’t let you sabotage this, just because you don’t feel like it.”

  The guttural sound of the old Nova engine announced Tommy’s arrival.

  “I’m going out with Tommy,” I said.

  “Again?” She had such a serious look on her face I knew I was in trouble.

  “I won’t be that long,” I added, hoping it would somehow help my case. Maybe it was a mistake telling her.

  To my surprise, she conceded. “Okay.”

  Tommy got out to greet me, and I gave him a quick kiss. Couldn’t be sure Lauren wasn’t spying on me again.

  Adam’s car was already parked in the driveway at his house. It was right around dinnertime, so the neighborhood was quiet.

  “Can you hear anything?” I asked Tommy.

  “No, but I don’t know if I could anyway. We’re kind of far.”

  “Oh. I wasn’t sure. You’ve surprised me too many times not to ask.”

  “It’s different outside. No insulation,” he said. “Which reminds me…”

  I cringed, afraid of where he was going with the conversation.

  “Why did you stop Roz the other day at lunch?” he asked. “I think she was about to say something interesting.”

  “You think so?”

  “I have a sixth sense about these kinds of things,” he said.

  I raised an eyebrow at him. “We’ve got two psychics now?”

  “Not psychic,” Tommy said, glancing at Adam’s house before he returned his gaze back to me. “Merely intuitive.”

  “Oh really? You don’t think it has anything to do with your magnificent hearing?”

  He smiled. “Is that what you’re waiting for? You want me to admit I heard you.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “And what happens next? Do I get to hear it firsthand then?”

  My stomach became uneasy. “You’re too stubborn to admit it, so it doesn’t matter, does it?”

  “Well,” he said and then took off his seat belt and slid in next to me. He leaned into me and whispered in my ear, “I’m already in love with you.”

  The heat of his breath caused my body to convulse. Did he really say that? My heart pounded in my chest, and my cheeks flushed in an instant. Calm down. Breathe. The tears that rolled down my face almost surprised me. I turned away from him, embarrassed by my reaction.

  “What’s wrong?”

  I didn’t know how to explain it. Part of me was thrilled. The other part was afraid: the fear of love, of getting hurt, and the paranoia both Lauren and my mother instilled in me for years—all of it confused me. Yet at the same time, I knew I was in love with him. He was all I ever thought about.

  “Give me a minute.” I took a couple of deep breaths.

  He gently wiped my tears away. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “I’m not upset. I–I can’t explain what I’m feeling right now.” I touched the sides of my head, in an attempt to calm myself down. “I wasn’t expecting you to say that.”

  “I don’t back down from a challenge,” he said. “You should know that about me by now.”

  Tommy’s eyes lit up, and it didn’t take long to understand why. Adam stepped out of his house dressed in a suit, locked the front door, and then got into his Suburban and pulled out. Tommy waited for him to get a head start before he gave pursuit.

  “I’m sorry. It’s only…” I sighed. “I guess I have issues.”

  “Issues?”

  I didn’t want to even attempt to explain what was going on in my head, because I wasn’t entirely sure I understood it myself. “You know I’m crazy about you, right?”

  “I was hoping so. But you have to admit, crying after I tell you I love you is kind of a downer.”

  Adam stopped at a house several streets over. He rang the doorbell and a middle-aged woman let him in. I got the feeling from her minimally styled short hair and basic floral print shirt, that she was somebody’s mother.

  “I wonder if she’s the woman from Roz’s vision?” Tommy said.

  I dug into my purse and found some scrap paper to jot down the address.

  “I can’t hear anything,” he said. “We need to get closer.”

  There wasn’t anybody outside, so we were able to move to the side of the house unnoticed. I waited a few minutes before I couldn’t stand the suspense. “What are they saying?”

  “He’s talking to the kids. Asking them questions about how their mother treats them,” he whispered. “I can’t hear what they’re saying. They’re speaking too softly.”

  I took his hands in mine. “Concentrate.”

  The heat turned on, and it appeared to calm him.

  “The boy is saying she hits them sometimes… She loses control.” He continued to listen. “The girl is telling him to be quiet. She says it’s only when they act out… Adam is asking them a lot of questions. He sounds concerned.”

  The doubts I had about Adam became even more prevalent. How could he be the killer, a man who worries about kids being abused? My thoughts were interrupted by Tommy squeezing my hands.

  “We gotta go. Adam’s about to leave.”

  We hurried back to the Nova
and left. After the conversation with my mother, I figured it would be better to head back to my house.

  Tommy took his hand in mine. “What are you afraid of, Em?”

  “Afraid of?”

  “With me,” he said. “I think what you said to Roz is true. I believe that. For some reason, you can’t say it to me, and I’m wondering why you’re afraid.”

  “But you know the truth?” I said, relieved. “That’s all that matters, right?”

  He was silent for a moment. “Would be nice to hear it, but yeah.”

  I wanted to tell him, but my eyes started tearing up even thinking about it. Why am I so broken?

  “Hey, it’s still early,” Tommy said. “Do you want to watch a movie?”

  “Sure, I think the Ice Queen is working tonight. What do you have in mind?”

  He raked his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know. Something undead.”

  “Oh, I’ve got Zombie Paradise on the DVR.”

  “Really? I love that movie.”

  His utter excitement at the mention of a practically unknown B-horror film warmed my heart. Roz had never gotten into horror, and it delighted me to be able to share my appreciation for the genre.

  At the house, I queued the movie and snuggled close to him, wrapping my arm around his waist. We made it through a good half-hour undisturbed. And then Tommy perked up.

  “I thought you said she was working tonight.”

  “Oh, no.” I stiffened, a natural reaction to Lauren’s proximity. I was about to move away from him when I decided against it. Instead, I hugged him tighter. Her jaw dropped at the sight of us on the couch.

  “What is going on here?” She folded her arms against her chest.

  “We’re watching a movie,” I said.

  “Yeah, and what else?” she said, in an accusing tone.

  The perfect response suddenly came to me. “Oh, are you referring to the dry humping and other random acts of pre-sexual misconduct?”

  Tommy laughed. “Damn, did I miss that? We need to rewind.”

  But Lauren was not amused. “I think you should leave, Tommy.”

  “I think you should leave,” I said.

  She didn’t say a word, but glared at me.